Former presidential adviser on Political Matters, Babafemi Ojudu, has questioned the continued emphasis on ethnic and regional politics in Nigeria’s leadership selection process, insisting that competence and performance should matter more than tribal sentiments. Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Inside Sources programme, Ojudu argued that Nigerians are more interested in leaders who can solve the country’s pressing problems than in sharing ethnic ties with those in power.
Using former President Olusegun Obasanjo and President Bola Tinubu as examples, Ojudu stated that having a leader from one’s ethnic group does not automatically translate into better living conditions for the people. According to him, despite both leaders being of Yoruba extraction, ordinary Yoruba citizens still face the same economic hardships, insecurity, and infrastructural challenges affecting Nigerians across the country. He stressed that citizens should judge leaders based on results, policies, and impact rather than ethnic identity.
Ojudu maintained that Nigeria’s worsening economic situation, insecurity, high fuel prices, and poor living conditions require capable and effective leadership, not political arrangements built around zoning or ethnicity. He noted that Nigerians are more concerned about affordable living, safety, and national development than where a president comes from. “If somebody calls himself my brother and can’t solve the problems of this country, of what benefit is he to me?” Ojudu asked while reiterating his call for merit-based leadership ahead of future elections.
